Bombers flying high

Barnum Bomber Brandon Newman looks for an opening in the September 13 game against the Crosby-Ironton Rangers.

The Barnum Bombers hosted the Crosby-Ironton Rangers on Friday, September 13.

The Rangers took the opening kickoff and marched it down the field. Three plays later, they scored first, but the 2-point conversion failed. However, the Bombers would not be deterred.

Moments later, Bomber Brandon Newman took the opening kickoff from the Rangers all the way back for a touchdown, but the touchdown was called back due to a block to the back on the return. It took a few more plays, but the Bombers moved the ball down to the end zone and Newman finally got to pound the ball in with the 2-point conversion good.

The Bombers were up 8-6. The Rangers got the ball deep in their own side of the field. With 6:19 left in the first quarter, Newman again went to work for the Bombers with an interception of the Rangers' pass. Now the quartet of Bombers Cody Shelgren, Zach Carlson, Zach Peterson and Newman took turns moving the ball up the field. Newman again pounded the ball into the end zone from the 1 yard line, with the Newman to Mitchell Weller pass good for the 2-point conversion, giving the Bombers a 16-6 lead.

The Rangers got the ball back on their own 30 yard line, but the Bomber defense proved to be too strong and forced the Rangers to punt the ball away.

The Bombers took possession of the ball on their 20 yard line, but this time the Rangers were able to stop the Bombers advance, forcing the Bombers to punt the ball away.

The Rangers got the ball back on the 38 yard line, but moments later there was a fumble on the play and Bomber Peterson recovered the ball.

The Bombers then went to work, again resulting in another Newman touchdown, but this time the Newman pass for the 2-point conversion would fail, being caught just out of bounds. The Bombers were up 22-6.

The Rangers tried to take a page from the Bombers' playbook with a quarterback keeper, but this did not fool the Bombers. Bomber Tory Slater came up with a great stop to force the Rangers into a third-and-long situation. This time, the Rangers would go to the air, but Bomber Mitchell Weller was ready and intercepted the ball on the Ranger 43 yard line. He ran it back to the 33 yard line.

With just moments left in the first half, Newman again kept the ball and ran it in for another touchdown. Newman also took the 2-point conversion in. The Rangers got one more chance to score before half time, but with a third-and-6 yard to go situation, the Rangers' quarterback stepped back for the pass. Bomber Nathan Jelinek came driving through the front line for the sack. The Bombers went into half time leading 30-6.

The second half started out with the Bombers getting possession first. This time, however, the Rangers forced the Bombers to punt the ball away. The Rangers got the ball and began to move up the field, but again the Bomber defense forced them to punt the ball away.

Newman returned the Ranger punt out to the 34 yard line, where the Bombers would again go to work. This time, Petrerson got the call to do the leg work for the Bombers. Peterson pounded the ball all the way down to the Rangers' 9 yard line. But, with a fourth and 1 yard to go, the Bombers called on Newman to pick up the first down.

First-and-8 on the 8 yard line, Carlson got the ball and took it in for the touchdown, with Shelgren taking the 2-point conversion in, giving the Bombers a 38-6 lead.

It was late in the fourth quarter before the Rangers were able to pound the ball into the end zone, after the Bombers had begun to substitute in some of the younger players.

The Rangers eventually fell to the Bombers 38-12.

The Bombers will next take on the Jaguars of Hinckley-Finlayson on September 20 (note different date as was reported last week).